How to make the most of your Joburg staycation

For some, December is a time for holiday getaways, but for others it’s a chance to enjoy the slow life in the big city. DANA DA SILVA gives a few tips on how to maximise your staycation.

1. Switch yourself off
Social media is a great way to keep in touch with friends who’ve split for the holidays, but scrolling through your bestie’s endless Thailand holiday posts can also give you mad fomo. Switch yourself off for a few days; instead go out and catch some radiant summer sun instead of the radiation from your cellphone screen.

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2. Recharge your batteries
Once you’ve stopped hating on your bestie’s new bikini tan, start your break by bringing the holiday to you. Take advantage of the ghost town by booking treatments at your favourite spa, or bring the spa experience home by hiring a massage therapist who makes house calls. There are even great recipes online for homemade face masks that work equally well as snacks.

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3. Don’t be a couch potato
It’s very easy to cross the line between chilled and couch potato. Keep active with low-key summer activities like hiking the nearby koppies, swimming at the city’s sparkling public pools, playing paintball or laser tag (apparently the suits now mildy electrocute people – yay?), swinging through the trees Tarzan-style at acrobranch, or trying your hand at skateboarding or rollerskating at the city parks, all of which should be blissfully quiet over the holidays.

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4. Have a market day
There are several artisanal and food markets in and around Johannesburg including Arts on Main, the Neighbourgoods Market, Irene Market, Rosebank Sunday Market and Melville Farmers’ Market, to name a few.

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5. Host a braai
Once you have visited your food market, why not host a braai and share some of that artisanal bread with any friends or family who might also be staying in the city for the summer.

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6. Be a tourist in your own city
This doesn’t necessarily mean visiting Gold Reef City for the hundredth time. There are plenty of places that you probably haven’t been to yet, like Maropeng or the Wits Art Museum. Why not catch one of those open-top buses and spend the day discovering the Joburg you never had time for the rest of the year?

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7. Host your own movie festival
Invite your friends, pick a theme – best horror movies, biggest tearjerkers, favourite childhood movies or whatever suits your fancy – set up a projector and grab your favourite movie snacks at a fraction of the price you’ll pay at the cinema and voila, instant movie festival.

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8. Read a book
When was the last time you got the chance to nestle in a comfy spot with a book? Whether you’re re-reading a classic or discovering a new author, the summer holidays are the perfect time to crack that book you’ve had sitting on your bedside table all year.

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9. Indulge in your favourite foods
Take this time to find your inner Masterchef, nurture the Cake Boss inside. And if you get tired of kitchen duty, order out and get your meals delivered. If you end up overindulging, see point three above.

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– Featured image via Wikimedia Commons